Cruisin'!!
Sometimes,
you just need a break. Now, we've all heard about these cruises...they
leave Taiwan for a few days, sail around then come back. This can be one
way to get just the break you've been looking for. Here are the details.
The boats go into international waters, so bring your passport. They head out to a few of Japan's outlying islands and then turn back. You can choose 3 Day / 2 Night cruises or 4 Day / 3 Night cruises.
The 3 Day / 2 Night cruises offer a choice: trips where the boat will stop for a 6-hour island day-trip and trips without such a stop. The 4 Day / 3 Night cruises all have island day trips.
There's a casino on board every ship, so you can finally live out that obligatory Hong Kong movie scene of breaking the house, or your arch-enemy, at the baize covered tables. (Don't forget your tuxedo for the full effect.)
There's only one line that runs these trips, the Superstar Gemini line. Boats leave from Keelung in the early evening. Curiously, for your Three and Four days of cruising, that evening departure counts as one of your days.
Some other things to note: you get at 4 meals free - breakfast, lunch, dinner and a midnight snack - and while hot water is free, other drinks are not. Costs average around NT$ 69 for a soft drink, and NT$ 130 and up for a cocktail. Passenger do receive a complimentary of liter of bottled each day. (You are allowed to bring your own drinks on board if you want, but there is a substantial - nay, prohibitive - opening fee & service charge for drinking any of your self-brought libations outside of your room: in any of the restaurants, bars, clubs, KTVs or Ma-Jiang rooms.) As with many international traveling activities, you'll also find the well-appointed duty-free store on the ship.
3 Day / 2 Night trips which leave Wednesday evening and return Friday afternoon include a Thursday stop-over (9am-3:30pm) on Ishigaki - a fairly unspoiled South Pacific island of just a few villages. You could also take the 3 Day / 2 Night cruise that leaves on Friday evening and returns Sunday afternoon. This one without the island day trip: just cruising out then arcing back after about a day and a half.
The 4 Day / 3 Night trips leave Sunday evenings and return Wednesday afternoon. These longer cruises include not one...but TWO island day trips: to Miyakojima, a Carusoe-esqe island, on Monday from 10am to 4:30 and Naha, a well-developed Japanese city on Tuesday from 9am-3:30pm.
You can get the best prices on these cruises by contacting the cruise line directly :
Superstar GEMINI
Tel: (02) 2731-0808
Mon-Fri: 9:00am-7:00pm
Sat: 9am-1pm.
| Sails |
4/8,
4/15, 4/22, 4/29 |
4/6,
4/13, 4/20, 4/27 |
4/10,
4/17, 4/24 |
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|
Rooms, Decks |
Persons |
Pings |
3 days, 2 nights sails: Fridays~ Sunday, Per-Person |
Reserve 2~4 weeks in advance, per-person |
Reserve 4 weeks in advance, per-person |
3 days, 2 nights sails: Wednesdays~ Friday Per-Person |
Reserve 2~4 weeks in advance, per-person |
Reserve 4 weeks in advance, per-person |
4 days, 3 nights sails: Sundays~ Wednesday, per-person |
Reserve 2~4 weeks in advance, per-person |
Reserve 4 weeks in advance, per-person |
|
DB--No
Windows, 3rd & 4th decks |
4 |
3.8 |
7,840 |
6,840 |
6,140 |
8,040 |
7,040 |
6,440 |
12,410 |
10,810 |
9,710 |
|
DA--No Windows, 6th & 7th decks |
2 or 4 |
3.8 |
8,540 |
7,440 |
6,640 |
8,640 |
7,540 |
6,840 |
13,510 |
11,710 |
10,510 |
|
CE--Porthole windows, 2nd deck |
2 or 4 |
3.8 |
9,340 |
8,140 |
7,240 |
9,440 |
8,240 |
7,440 |
14,710 |
12,710 |
11,410 |
|
CD--Porthole
windows, 3rd deck |
2 |
4 |
9,740 |
8,440 |
7,540 |
9,840 |
8,540 |
7,740 |
15,410 |
13,310 |
11,910 |
|
CC--Porthole
windows, 7th deck |
2 |
3.2 |
10,140 |
8,740 |
7,840 |
10,240 |
8,940 |
8,040 |
16,110 |
13,910 |
12,510 |
|
CB--Regular
windows, 4th deck |
2 |
3.8 |
11,040 |
9,540 |
8,540 |
11,140 |
9,640 |
8,740 |
17,610 |
15,210 |
13,610 |
|
CA--Regular
windows, 6th deck |
2 |
4 |
11,540 |
9,940 |
8,940 |
11,640 |
10,140 |
9,140 |
18,410 |
15,910 |
14,210 |
|
AD--VIP,
7th deck |
2 |
4.5 |
14,340 |
13,040 |
11,640 |
13,540 |
12,340 |
11,140 |
22,610 |
20,510 |
18,410 |
|
AC--VIP, 6th & 7th decks |
２ |
5.5 |
15,540 |
14,140 |
12,640 |
14,640 |
13,340 |
12,040 |
24,610 |
22,310 |
20,010 |
|
AB--Executive
Suite, 7th deck |
2 |
6 |
16,740 |
15,140 |
13,640 |
15,740 |
14,340 |
12,840 |
26,610 |
24,110 |
21,610 |
|
AA--Executive
Suite with balcony, 7th deck |
2 |
6.5 |
17,940 |
16,240 |
14,540 |
16,840 |
15,340 |
13,740 |
28,510 |
25,810 |
23,110 |
|
DB-CE rooms - add a 3rd or 4th adult in a room, each one charged NT$ |
|
|
5,540 |
4,840 |
4,440 |
4,200 |
5,040 |
4,640 |
9,110 |
8,010 |
7,210 |
|
DB-CE rooms - children aged under 12-yr-old |
|
|
the above price x 25% |
the above price x 25% |
the above price x 25% |
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|
DB-CE rooms - children aged under 2-yr-old in a room |
|
|
the above price x 10% |
the above price x 10% |
the above price x 10% |
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